Greetings to all, Im new here on the CBR forum but Im not new to motorcycles or the CBR1000f in fact it was my very first bike(it turned out to be a very poor first bike choice for me)and now Ive got another one. in between them Ive had a CX500, CM450e, VF750 Magna, ZG1000(Concours) , ZX6r, and a ZR-7(still have that one lots of streetfighter mods). Im in the process of preparing my Hurricane for a cross country voyage basically Im starting in Orlando Florida going to New Orleans then across the country through the southern route, up the west coast, back across the northern route and then back down the east coast (and probably a bit a zigzagging in between) I plan on being on the road for upwards of a year and covering aprox. 15,000 miles.
Here's what Ive got or have ordered so far-
-Heated grips
-Throttle lock
-12v Adapter
-Cellphone Holder
-Risers(high bars)
Im still looking for good saddle bags or panniers a tank bag a trunk, some kind of insulated bag or trunk I can put on the rear seat for food. Also Id like to get a set of tires that will last as long as possible ive heard Avons are very good. Any recommendations on tires, gear, and additional recommended equipment is greatly appreciated.

 

Heated grips- I never need them. I have ridden with medium weight MC gloves with snow on the ground quite often.

Throttle lock- I use Throttlemeister. Everything is internal and they look like a bar weight. When setup correctly, it turns off when you back off on the throttle.

12v powerlet- any marine supplier will have a water proof one. I have one on the CBR from a marine supplier. I also have one on my Stratoliner from Walmart (yep! Walmart, the place with 32 checkout registers and 50 people waiting to get through the only one open).

Cellphone adapter- Get one of these and replace the clutch cinch with the mirror cinch. They come in pairs so you'll have one for the other side if you want to mount more things. ---> LINK
screw in one of these RAM-B-349U
Get one of these RAM-B-201U-A or one of these if you plan on a Garmin mount that needs a plate--> RAM-B-103-A-238U (I have this RAM-HOL-GA34U to hold my Garmin 1300)
The universal mount should hold the phone -->RAM-HOL-UN7BU

Risers-I have Genmar. Personal choice there my friend. You get 3/4 inch raise but the angle is still steep. Way better than stock.

Tire- Everbody and their brother will tell you all about a great tire. I have been running Shinko 009 Ravens because they last and hold very well in the rain. Super great tire for the dollar. Heavy tire for the track but great on the open road and turns. It will out last other tires. I have 3 bikes and use the 1kF for longer rides. It holds up well.

Also the Metzeler Roadtec Z6 is a great sport/touring tire. Doesn't last as long as the Shinko but is a very good one.

Bags-What do you want to spend???

EDIT: Added photos to show that my PSP can be mounted on the bike so that I can watch a movie as I ride. LOL

 

Ive been living in florida for 2 years and Im spoiled by the weather even on the connie with full fairing and heavy gloves. my hands got numb just going to work...so yeah I need em lol. The throttlemeister thing is really cool but way to expensive. Ill prob just end up with a lil $20 lock. My total budget for the bike was 2k Ive spent $850 so far on the bike and the couple little things it needed. Looks like Ill spend about $120 on gadgets and such. Leave a good $280 for tires. So Ill have nearly $800 for all the bags. How many miles you averaging on those shinkos?

 

I know I got 6,500 miles out of one set with some spirited riding.

 

"I plan on being on the road for upwards of a year and covering aprox. 15,000 miles. "

Good for you AJ,

Great advice from TBT above. I have done quite a few trips of 1 month and above all over the world on bikes. Also a ride on a GTR1000 (Concours) where I rode 2,212.5 km in 24 hours!

One thing that you might consider - and it's minimal cost - is a throttle rocker (or cramp buster) for the throttle. Do a google search for either. I think I paid $7 AUD for the last one. Best money you can spend - you no longer get numb fingers. I also fitted cruise control on the GTR.

Also a sheepskin cover for the seat - or a Corbin seat. *** comfort lets you stay in the saddle longer. Alternatively take a pillion who will massage your butt when you stand on the footpegs

And as a cold weather woose I happen to like my grip warmers. I have two settings - warm and 'oh my God my hands are on fire' - I use the lower setting on cold nights or mornings.

Good luck with the preparation and journey. It sounds fantastic.

Cheers, SB

 

Yeah Ive certainly been thinking about a corbin seat it would put me way over budget though. My ZR-7 has one and my but is never sore perfect combo of support and comfort.

 

Sounds like a heck of a ride. Good luck! If/when you get up to Montana, look me up. I'd be happy to ride with you a bit

If you want a comfy seat without breaking the bank, check out Spencers Seats he'll reshape (if you want), lower and add a gel cushion for around $100 not counting shipping. And, when he's done, the seat will still look stock. He has great reviews and I'm planning on sending my ZG1400 seat there this fall to have him work his magic on it.

Saddle bags is really up to you. I bought a set of Rapid Transit Recon bags for my 1000F and liked them. They're expandable and won't break the bank. But, they still may not big enough to pack for such a long trip.

If I were going with handlebar risers, I'd just go this route. LSL handlebar conversion. If that's too pricey, look at he Genmars as was mentioned earlier.

Tires. I have Michelin PR2's on my Connie. I wouldn't go with anything else right now. On a Connie forum I belong to, one member reported he got a little over 17,000 miles on a set.

For my cell phone, I bought a RAM X mount and it works great. For a charger, if you have an iPhone, take a look at iPhone harness. You can wire it directly to you battery so you don't have to drill holes into you plastics or mount funny looking power outlets.

I know money is a concern and I just posted things I have experience with. But, one thing that will save you about $400 at least is sending your seat off to Spencer's.

I'd check out Revzilla for your farkles. I've never had a problem ordering from them (I've spent over $2000 with them) and they have free shipping for orders over $100. They ship fast, too.

 

It's not pretty but jcwhitney's $90 trunk attaches to our grab rails w/ zero modification. I run mine all the time and it holds a LOT.

 

Hi there JB.

Hope you don't mind me abbreviating your name

Don't have much practical advice, but just wanted to say.........Wow! What a great trip!!!

There are great bargains to be had on e-bay (though time is limited), but you still might get lucky with a second hand seat or luggage.

Tyre wise, Michelin PR2's seem to be a good compromise between price/handling and longevity.

Good luck on your trip, is it something you've planned for a long time? I'd love, one day, to travel the entire coast of the British Isles. It'll probably remain a pipe dream, but who knows? We're all just a lottery win away from our dreams

Lastly, on behalf of everyone on this forum, would you please keep us up-dated to your progress, I know we will all be very interested in your journey and there will be a lot of members close to your route. This is a great forum and many members go out of the way to help each other, you never know when you might need help and you might even make some good friends, I know I have.

 

Thanks for all the advice looks like Im getting genbar risers and a jc whitney trunk. Ill def be taking lots of pictures along the way. Back to tires I was looking at the PR2 it seems there is a regular one and another model for about $30 more specifically for weighted down touring. Does anyone have experience with these? Are they worth the extra $?